Linking data sources to projects

[loleg]

A conversation at the recent MakeZurich event about adding live indicators of sensor transmission as well as other data source status has led to a couple of brainstorms with folks close to the project. I've sketched something which I believe will be the cornerstone of the next release, at the same time as being a missing puzzle piece to the concept of "data-driven hackathons" since the beginning.

The idea is to add a Sources tab to the project, which is populated through the Post mechanism. While adding a status update, each team member can refer to a tool or dataset that they are currently using or "plugging in" to their work. These can be added spontaneously using a simple form that is based on the Sync mechanism: code from supported repositories, data from open data portals (or APIs compatible with standards like ThingSpeak and Frictionless Data), tools from any other websites.

These data sources are maintained and synced instance-wide, but aggregated from the Activity feed at the level of a Project or Event. Additionally, event organizers can specify a Template Project (which works even if hidden) whose data sources are recommended to project teams through an information display when they are on their own project.

The reasoning for using the Activity feed here is due to our current research collaboration's interest in tracking the stage of a project's development at which key breakthroughs occur. These could be communicated in the form of status updates, or equally by the adoption of a new tool or dataset.

At the moment this is only at a rough sketch stage, and open to feedback from the community.

See also #98

[loleg]

Deployed in #209